Jan. 24, 2010
Results
EVANSTON, Ill.-- Northwestern closed out its season-opening homestand with a 5-2 victory over William & Mary at the Combe Tennis Center Sunday afternoon. After dominating doubles, NU posted four singles victories, with the match clincher provided by freshman Mark Schanerman (N. Miami Beach, Fla./Krop) at No. 6 singles.
This victory avenges last season's 4-3 away loss to the Tribe, in which the 'Cats won the doubles point but managed only two singles victories. William & Mary holds a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.
The Wildcats started the dual by sweeping doubles. The pair of Joshua Graves (Milwaukee, Wis./Nicolet) and Alex Sanborn (Houston, Texas/Kinkaid) improved to 4-0 with a quick, 8-4 dispatching of the Tribe's Daniel Mihalov and Sebastien Vidal at No. 2. Serving for the match up 7-4, the 'Cats had to save two break points before winning the match with a Sanborn ace.
Andrew McCarthy (Cincinnati, Ohio/Indian Hill) and Tobias Reitz (Reinbeck, Germany/Sachsenwaldschule Reinbeck) nabbed the doubles point for NU with their 8-5 victory over Keziel Juneau and Ilja Orre. The Wildcat tandem broke in the seventh game to take a 4-3 advantage and never looked back. Match point was won by Reitz, who had to stretch well into the doubles alley for a forehand volley down the line.
The Wildcat sweep came at No. 3 doubles where Sidarth Balaji (Fairfax, Va./Fairfax) and Spencer Wolf (Coral Springs, Fla./Laurel Springs) defeated the Tribe's Jamie Whiteford and Anton Andersson. The two teams exchanged breaks early before the 'Cats got the deciding break to go up, 6-5. With Wolf serving up 7-6, the match was won by a Balaji overhead.
Balaji continued his solid play into singles, where he was the first off the courts at No. 3, posting a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Andersson. The Wildcat freshman was in control throughout the match thanks to his powerful forehand. Balaji ripped a forehand crosscourt winner to win the first set and took the momentum through the second.
Balaji's doubles partner, Spencer Wolf, also came up big in singles, defeating Ilja Orre at No. 5 to give the 'Cats a 3-0 lead in the dual. Wolf broke Orre's serve three times in the first set and used his serve well throughout, setting up a backhand winner on set point with a huge serve out wide.
The William & Mary sophomore had issues with his serve throughout the match, getting broken twice more in the second set. Orre double faulted on match point to help Wolf maintain his perfect 4-0 collegiate record.
Mark Schanerman clinched the dual for Northwestern with a 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles over the Tribe's Richard Wardell. Schanerman held a 4-1 lead in the first set before the W&M senior stormed back to tie it up, but the Wildcat freshman held tough and won the set, 6-4.
In the second set, Schanerman again took an early lead, only for Wardell to even it up. Up 5-4 with Wardell serving, the Wildcat missed his first match point opportunity. He then saved two break points while serving for the match before finally converting his third match point opportunity with a service winner.
At No. 1 singles, Josh Graves faced an opponent with momentum in No. 122 Keziel Juneau, who defeated Notre Dame's 18th-ranked Casey Watt Friday. The two were evenly matched in the first set, with the lone break of the set coming in the seventh game for Graves. Juneau managed to save a set point on his serve, but Graves served out the 6-4 set at love.
The second set played out in similar fashion as the deciding break again came in the seventh game as Graves took a 4-3 lead. The Wildcat sophomore then held on for another 6-4 victory. In his first season anchoring the No. 1 singles spot, Graves is one of only two 'Cats with unbeaten 4-0 records.
Andrew McCarthy dropped his first singles match of the season with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Jamie Whiteford at No. 2. The two players exchanged breaks early in both sets, but Whiteford also managed a second break that would prove too much to overcome.
The Tribe picked up its second point of the match behind a 7-6(6), 6-4 win at No. 4 singles by Sebastien Vidal over the 'Cats' Alex Sanborn. Sanborn saved a set point in the first set breaker, but dropped the set on a forehand that just clipped the tape. In the second, Sanborn saved match points to stay alive but was unable to break Vidal's serve to even it.
Northwestern now has a week to prepare for the 2010 ITA Kickoff Weekend. The 'Cats will head down to Athens, Ga. to face the Georgia Bulldogs Jan. 31. The two other teams in the regional are UNC and Miami (Fl.). The four teams will vie for a spot in the 2010 ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
#47 Northwestern 5, #75 William & Mary 2
Singles
1. Joshua Graves (NU) def. Keziel Juneau (W&M) 6-4, 6-4
2. Jamie Whiteford (W&M) def. Andrew McCarthy (NU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Sidarth Balaji (NU) def. Anton Andersson (W&M) 6-3, 6-4
4. Sebastien Vidal (W&M) def. Alex Sanborn (NU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
5. Spencer Wolf (NU) def. Ilja Orre (W&M) 6-2, 6-3
6. Mark Schanerman (NU) def. Richard Wardell (W&M) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
1. Tobias Reitz/Andrew McCarthy (NU) def. Keziel Juneau/Ilja Orre (W&M) 8-5
2. Alex Sanborn/Joshua Graves (NU) def. Daniel Mihalov/Sebastien Vidal (W&M) 8-4
3. Sidarth Balaji/Spencer Wolf (NU) def. Anton Andersson/Jamie Whiteford (W&M) 8-6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,5,6,1,2,4)